Last week, a twenty-two year-long season of my life came to a screeching halt in the ten seconds it took me to walk across a stage, shake a hand, and receive a piece of paper declaring that I’m finished with school forever. Up until that...
1 “Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the...
I have recently noticed that on the familiar drive south to my hometown in Georgia, my spirit is literally nourished by the views....
1 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing...
52 Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. 53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and...
This month we have been highlighting various stories on our social media in conjunction with National Foster Care Month. We will begin to wrap up the month with a life change story from a foster parent, Carol Ann Denyer, a single woman at our Downtown...
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. 23 Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed...
7 O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. 8 First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. 9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you...
11 16 Again I say, don’t think that I am a fool to talk like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little. 17 Such boasting is not from the Lord, but...
Peace. It seems to be a word often thrown around yet rarely sought after or attained. What is peace anyway?...
1 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which...
When I was young there was a popular commercial about razors on TV. It featured men and women going about their usual way of daily shaving, when all of a sudden— Gotcha! —the razor would cut them, and they would wince in visible, marked pain....
32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same...
6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let...
I just returned from a place that has the longest blackout in US history. Can you guess where that is? Puerto Rico, where many citizens have been without power for over seven months, since Hurricane Maria hit last fall....
10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to...
1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3 Let there be...
24 ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. 25 May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. 26 May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’...
When I was young, I was the “peacemaker” among my friends. It was a constant obsession of mine to make sure I was at peace with everyone and everyone with each other. I hated for there to be any conflict or for anyone to be...
3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!...
When I started coming to Grace Church a few years ago, I had no idea what the Lord had in store for me and the lessons He would teach me. One of the most incredible blessings was the opportunity to work through the Redeeming Sexuality...
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. 7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8...
22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24...
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you...
11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet each other with a sacred kiss. 13...